FO lodges protest with Dutch ambassador over Wilders’ tweet

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday lodged a strong protest with the Dutch ambassador over the blasphemous tweets by Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders.

According to the FO press release, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua called the ambassador of the Netherlands to the FO and expressed concerns over the matter.

“The Foreign Secretary conveyed deep concern and disappointment of the government and people of Pakistan on continued and deliberate malicious attempts of the Dutch parliamentarian to hurt the sentiments of hundreds of millions across the world,” it added.

Janjua underscored that such acts cannot be allowed with impunity under the pretext of freedom of expression. “These discriminatory incidents spread hate and intolerance and provoke extremism and violence, which were prohibited under human rights laws and standards,” she said while calling upon the Dutch government to condemn and take suitable measures to counter and prevent such actions from taking place.

Consequently, the Dutch ambassador assured that the concerns of the Pakistani government and people will be conveyed to the concerned authorities in the Netherlands.

In August 2018, far-right Dutch politician Wilders cancelled a blasphemous cartoon drawing contest after large-scale protests in Pakistan.

The decision to cancel the contest, which was to be held in the Dutch parliament in November, was greeted with joy in Pakistan. An Islamic party had organised demonstrations in Lahore and Islamabad. About 10,000 supporters of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) called for the expulsion of the Dutch ambassador and for diplomatic ties with the Netherlands to be severed.